Toy railroad



UNITED STATES PATENT LoUIs RUELIUs, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOY RAILROAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,799. dated November2, 1886, Application filed May 22, 1886. Serial No. 202,993. (No model.)

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS RUELIUs, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Toy Railroads, of whichthe following is a specification. i

The object of my invention is the production of an inexpensive anddurable toy in the form of a sectional railroad-track adapted as to itssections to be connected together and to be either laid upon a floor toform a'toy sur-' face road, or to be elevated upon pedestals or othersupports to forma toy elevated road. These objects I attain byconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented, and in thisspecification I describe, a good form of sectional toy-railroad trackembodying 'my improvements, the particular subject-matter which I claimas novel being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in side elevation of arailroadtrack e1nbodying my invention and employed as an elevated road.Fig. 2 is an end ,elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a view in perspectiveof the meeting ends of adjoining sections of the rails, indicating aconvenient mode of effecting connection. Fig. 4 is a view in perspectiveof one of the pedest'alsi Fig. 5 is a top plan view of my track employedas a surface road. 9

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, 13 B are the stringers, and

0 O the cross-ties or sleepers, which are firmly connected to thestringers. A pair of stringers and its supported ties constitutes whenthe rails are applied a section of the track.

The rails D D are preferably of the form shown in Fig 3that is to say,of triangular section-having a small head and a broad base.

A are pedestals or standards adapted to be removably applied to thestringers by means of tenons a upon their upper extremities, adapted tomortises b, formed in thestringers.

When the track is used as an elevated road, the first section, or thatto the left hand of the drawings, the stringers of which are designatedby the letter B, the rails C, and the ties D, is

provided with two pedestals at each end, so that it will stand byitself. The adjoining section, or that to theright hand of the drawings,the stringers of which aredesignated as Bf, rails 0*, and ties D isadapted at one end to rest upon and be supported by the precedingsection, and to receive and be supported by but two pedestals at its endfarthest from the first section, and this is true of each succeedingsection, the result being that I am enabled to dispense with twopedestals to each of the sections except the first, and thereby toeconomize material, render the erection simpler and quicker, andlessenthe number'of detachable parts. The outer or advance extremities of therespective pairs of stringers are provided with lips F and F, as shownin Fig. 1, upon which the adjoining extremities of the stringers of thenext section may rest. Each rail, end is cut away atone side to form aseat, (1, leaving aflange or projection, d, as shown in the drawings.The rails, with their ends thus conformed,are

PPIcE.

applied to each section of the road in such" manner that their flangesor projections extend some little distance beyond one end thereof. Whenthesecond section is applied to the previouslyerected first sectionitsprojecting tlanges d lie within the seatsd of the meeting ends of therails of said first section, and rest upon the end cross-tie thereof,and should extend far enough to be over the endipedestals of saidpreceding section, and this rule should be regarded with everysucceeding section of 'track applied, so that when weight is placedshown in Figs. 1 and 5. Other means of connection may, however, ifdesired, be employed. It is obvious that when the pedestals areremovedthe sections can be united together by engaging the flanges dwith the notches d, and

by applying the gum hands.

When the device is employed as a surface road, the lips may, if desired,be'removed, as they can be readily made detachable.

When it is desired to raise the track from the floor,the pedestals areto be applied in the manner shown in the drawings.

The device is preferably for cheapness made 1c wholly of wood nailed orscrewed together.

The form of the different parts may be varied, provided the essentialelements herein described are retained.

The foregoing construction results in a toy railroad composed ofsections which are each complete and its parts permanently united. Thecompletely-formed sections are adapted for connection in suchnianner'that they cannot tilt or be displaced laterally. The toy may .20be used either as a surface or as an elevated road. When used as thelatter, but two pedestals are required for each section, with theexception of the first, the article of manufacture constituting myinvention being so 2 5 strong, simple, and its detachable parts so fewas to render it an improvement upon prior devices of the class, suchcharacteristics being especially valuable in achilds toy.

I am aware that a toy consisting of a numher of separate members orminiature tinihers, designed who built up and interlocked together toform an elevated railroad,has been made the subject of United StatesLetters Patent No. 212,630, granted February 25, 1879, 3 5 to G. 0.Shepherd. I {U11 also aware that United States Letters Patent No.254,587, were upon March 7, 1882, granted to J. A. Orandall for a toyelevated railroad formed of pedestals which uphold adjustable racks orlazy-tongs devices, which in turn support cross-tics or sleepers, but toneither of these constructions do I lay claim.

Having thus described my invention, I clairn 1. As an article ofmanufacture, a toy rail- 4 road composed of sections, each of which isfor-med of permanentlyunited rails, crossties, and stringers, the railends of each section, except the first, being at one end flanged andadapted to extend over and lie within a seat formed therefor in themeeting-rail ends of the preceding section and rest upon the end tie ofsaid preceding section and their other ends, and one end of the rails ofthe first section being cut away to in turn receive the flanges ot' therails of the next section, and temporary connection between adjoiningsections being secured by gum bands applied thereto, substantially asset forth.

2. As an article of manufacture, a toy railroad composed of sections,each of which is formed of perinanently-united rails, crossties. andstringers, the stringers being provided with mortises for the receptionof tenon-provided pedestals, four of which pedcstalsinay 65 be appliedto the first section of track and two to each succeeding section, therailends of each section, except the first, being at one end. flangedand adapted to extend over and lie within a seat formed therefor in themeeting-rail ends of the preceding section and rest upon the end tie ofsaid preceding section, and their other ends and one end of the rails ofthe first section being cut away to in turn receive the flanges 01' therails of the next see- 75 tion, and temporary connection betweenadjoining sections heing secured by gum bands applied thereto,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 18th day ofJanuary. I). 1886. 80

LOUIS RUEL'IUS.

In presence of J. BONSALL TAYLOR, XVM. C. Srnxwcnrncn.

